the end of foreign backing for terrorism in the formation of a new government president. views on how syria could finally be at peace. a loss to us from over the fiscal cliff. raising taxes on wealthy americans narrowly preventing a nationwide financial disaster. david cameron is ready to fight a war to keep the. british response to argentina's president. colonial ambitions in the region we get live reaction from.

the russian. government and. high taxes on the super rich. the look back at the past seven days top stories and the latest developments this is the week. these syrian leader has outlined his vision on how to end almost two years of continued civil conflict one of the key conditions for peace according to president bashar al assad is for regional and international powers to stop supporting the groups. was following what he said. but there has certainly been rather interesting quotes coming from the syrian president he in fact called to hold an international reconciliation conference. and the violence and the military

conflict which is going on be going on for almost two years now in syria and this initiative according to assad will lead to a national wide referendum and fair election which is the only way according to the syrian president that the political landscape in this country can be changed but this initiative can only be possible according to assad if the western countries and some regional countries as he put it stuff investing into terrorist groups which are fighting to overthrow. his regime has been again pretty much a defined don't think that the only way that syria will listen to the outside world is through a device not through a dictating will this speech of the syrian president comes amid very serious concerns about the safety of journalists working in syria the year has only just started but already we have a syrian a pro governmental journalist killed this week who was wounded and then taken to the hospital where he later died also my own colleague from r.t.

arabic station he got injured among a group of other journalists who were covering the movement of a governmental convoy through the country. says that they were shot at by the rebels despite wearing special jackets with the word press on them that also has been an ongoing story of ukrainian journalist on how to question about who's been missing and nobody knows where she is and whether she's actually alive but the reports that she was kidnapped by the rebels and there was a ransom demand that for her release outraged many organizations with the reports that syria has already been named as the most dangerous country in the world for journalists to work at certainly things are not looking any better at the moment. president assad said that his government is not willing to negotiate with these opposition groups which he considers to be the puppets of the west william spoke to political analyst marcus papadopoulos who believes that assad will have

a hard job finding any that aunt when president assad says he's not going to talk to the opposition into the armed opposition the so-called free syrian army and its political wing of the syrian national council which is a foreign based opposition movement and it's very important to make this clear in particular to western audiences who are unfortunately not read the full picture it comes to syria the free syrian army is a lethal cocktail or various groups including many islamist groups and many groups linked to al qaida and the free syrian army or the f.s.a. it's more commonly referred to as being responsible for heinous dry all terrorist acts in the last couple of years in syria so it's it's it's pretty clear why president assad will not talk to the armed opposition and its political wing and the political wing being the syrian national coalition which of course is influenced by the e.u. and the u.s.

so who is there left to talk to then much of the opposition is influenced by the west who does it talk to them this is another important point to clarify if there is a domestic opposition. parties which want to see political change in syria but they do not extremist groups islamist groups for example which reside in the syrian national council and also in the free syrian army. almost two years of anti-government protests change little in bahrain fresh pro-reform demonstrations shatter against the wall of a police crackdown some experts say it's their brutality that is fueling the uprising more on that coming up for you here on r.t. . and the christmas spirit is now coming and has arrived in town for orthodox believers the world over as they're celebrating the birth of christ we'll bring you more later in the program from russia's main cathedral and where we see pictures of the moment.

the first earlier this week barack obama signed a last minute deal that increases taxes on the wealthiest americans and prevented the country forming over the so-called fiscal cliff and they sure was on the brink of a financial nosedive with billions of dollars in tax hikes automatically coming into effect if the law hadn't been passed charlie mcgrath from wide awake news thinks the fate of americans has never been a top priority for the u.s. government. when the cameras are off and it's time to pass a trillion dollar nearly trillion dollar defense bill they have no problem whatsoever coming to coming together and holding hands with that kind of a deal together since two thousand and one namely we've been covering this nation by proxy the world by crisis and it doesn't matter who gets hurt. by the wayside as long as a special interest is served so is long as it's always under the shadow of a crisis. but it's only when it has to do with acting in behalf of the people of

this nation it seems like the people always take a backseat. kinds of things the deal might bring short term relief but the big problems didn't go anywhere. the fiscal cliff is just more theater. trying to distract people from the underlying root catastrophe that is a bunch of. manipulating the system. the strong the economy the fiscal cliff is just more wrong. it doesn't really focus on the true underlying problems and we're going to see more of this going forward in two thousand and thirteen anything. from the mob what they're pitchforks and torches coming after the people they want to just don't lay that. many months if they can but that day of reckoning twenty it's comic. analogies cause reporters more financial analysis and forecasts for the new variable right now i don't see.

the british prime minister david cameron says he's willing to fight to keep control of the food comes off the argentinian president sent him an open letter calling for negotiations over the disputed islands which the two countries for the war back to . the details. here with our says question in an interview whether britain would fight to keep the falkland islands and prime minister david cameron saying of course he would say he made his position there extremely clear if an attempt was made by argentina to retake the falkland islands that military troops would be the fluid by birth and so absolutely very clear on that very strong rhetoric coming from the prime minister over that issue this comes on the back of argentina is president we making these accusations that the

falkland islands were stolen from argentina by britain and i think she called it a nineteenth century colonialism and i think some concern for people here today that you know this is something that is very much focused on in the course of the interview this is some of the strongest statements but of course perhaps a disheartening a little bit some of the other very important issues that are happening on a national level at the moment here in the country we've got the cuts to trial venit that's coming in this week a very it's cheese day that i'll go to the house of commons so as a very important issues here at home at the moment of course a lot of people say we're talking about fighting a war somewhere else when it when actually was fighting our own battles here in the country and the screen nearly thirty years since we saw the end of the focus war it definitely has a very strong resonance with people here in britain that we seeing this result may kick off again as i said we've had very strong comments from the president in argentina is also of course come in much more recent argument again because it's

been discovered that there are large oil reserves of course i think that's really going to play a big part in seeing this contest over the islands between britain and argentina really heating up again it doesn't look like it's going away. it's not the first time the argentinian president has pressed britain to end its mandate over the orleans last year the country's clashed over the issue of sovereignty during the g twenty summit in mexico well for more on this i'm not joined by jews neil clark so why has cameron responded in this way to what is a provocative but essentially unthreatening letter from the argentinian president. yes well i think that predated cameron it's a great issue that it's come up again because the economy here is in dire straits in britain austerity is really biting people are very unhappy with what he's doing and so i think you know about the falklands issue i think obviously we thinking back to thirty odd years ago when mrs thatcher was in a similar position she was

a very unpopular leader her opinion poll ratings is very low and it seemed odds on that she would lose the next election and she was almost a hated figure and what happened with the argentine easy bake in the falklands was the stature sent the task force out and the rest as they say is history she became very popular she became a national hero and i think cameron is very much hope. so the bring back the back and raise of one hundred eighty two and if people's attention here from the very popular thing. cameron is being provoked by argentina and perhaps many would say that the president of argentina is exactly using those excuses you decided for the u.k. for her to distract attention from argentina's economy which is in dire straits well that could well be the case bill but you know i think the key point here is that whatever one thinks of the rights of the wrongs of the argentine claim to the islands or the british plate i think that from a british perspective i think that cameron for this issue to come up out is very

timely because the government is well down in the opinion polls the government is really unpopular i can't recall a governor becoming popular so quickly and so i think that he will want to keep this in the news headlines so i think to answer your question this is why he's wrapped in such a as a strong way if it does come to it that argentina does indeed attack the falkland islands britain does have the right to respond doesn't it. international law yes of course it would be and i think from congress point of view i mean we know that the . government in group was very keen to intervene in syria but the probably got there is public support is not there i mean you know that they just poll show that very few people actually want the gottlieb result in syria the focus will be a different ballgame so to speak because it is british territory and i think it would be able to be more patriotic least the put to the people and so i think that's where argentina do that but then i think cameron will actually actually take

that step and would be popular because of it the president personally has she's accused britain of colonialism is is that a third accusation well i think that you know the rights and wrongs of this if we have to the few hours to talk about it i think that yes i think it is a fair assessment if you look back into history the fact is the people of the island what's remained british so there is a case for both sides if you like and certainly what needs to happen is dialogue between argentina and britain and but the problem why what why should there be dialogue between argentina britain when actually this is a matter for the falkland islanders themselves yeah well you know i agree i think i think at the end of the game. the end of it must rest with them if they don't want to go to argentina that should be end of the story but i don't see any harm actually talking a civilized way to argue about this and i certainly don't think we ought to get involved in a sort of cold war i can see and i think that obviously whatever what he wants to prevent is a rerun of nine hundred eighty two you know that the issues here are complex but i do think that from the british government's point of view as i said earlier i don't

think they really mind this coming up again now because it is right and it could be argued in government the same british perspective i think that cameron will be at least on the front pages this year so he can sit around and suck on the flag and divert our attention away from the fact the n.h.s. be dismantled benefits for the disabled of incur the old people's benefits to being cut through so i think it's quite usual really neal good to talk to you on this thanks very much your time jealous neil can't join me live there from the u.k. thanks will. protest calls for reform and police violently lashing out at anti-government rallies it's a picture that's been haunting bahrain for most two years now with demonstrators still urging a transition to a democratically elected government as well darwish from the european bahraini organization for human rights claims that even the most innocent people are falling victim to the police crackdown. security forces who are working for the

ministry of interior and the hate are practicing and ought to by and ends and by nations to human rights when confronting when pro-democracy protests and behind the protestors here it although they are those radical and across the stairs they are the minority and not the majority but they are using such methods to prevent why didn't security forces from entering their their it their religion and attacking it on armed civilians and children like we witnessed and the big you had off of the four year old child being an attack by security forces with your gas canisters the u.s. military is now allowed to hold terror suspects for as long as it wants this applies to both americans and foreigners thanks to a new national defense authorization act well for more on that stay with us. and also still to come union flag protests in northern ireland and for second months of people arrested for allegedly shooting at police full details all day on

rest after this break. mission free. education free. car charger free. range and three. free stereotypes free. download free bar video for your media projects for free media don carty dot com. well the. science technology innovation and all the latest developments from around russia we've got the future covered. if.

you. live here in moscow this is the weekly orthodox believers all around the world are now enjoying themselves for one of the holiest nights of the year as they celebrate the birth of christ has more from right outside russia's main cathedral of christ the savior in moscow where celebrations are going at. here are the course to save you cathedral the main cathedral in the russian capital in churches and cathedrals both here across russia and in all for the communities across the world it isn't fact christmas eve for the often off church in the in the crisis

a view cathedral behind me worshippers have packed in to take part in to listen to the liturgy chanted and to feel the presence of of the spirit of christmas eve which is here celebrated on the sixth to the seventh of january not the twenty fifth of december because of the use of the julian calendar here by the russian orthodox church rather than the gregorian calendar in other countries after the soviet union which is just over the end of the soviet union just over twenty years ago there was a a large gap in the number of believers after that long atheist period and even today most russians don't strictly observe the russian orthodox christmas for most russians new year is the real celebration but there is a significant number of of strict religious observance of the russian orthodox faith and for them this is an immensely special night indeed for them just as for

most russians on new year's eve at large banquet is held many big dinners held and it's also a time for them to go to their church to take part in what is one of the longest services in the russian orthodox calendar but also. in the view of many believers and observers of russian orthodox faith one of the most beautiful services. spoke to said again chaplain editor in chief of the journal of the moscow patriarchate and he gave us some insight into how believers mark the orthodox christmas. the main emphasis is on service and prayer so we have the rather long and complicated verse which can see so. three main parts the great complying b. and the divine liturgy. from the fulton seven same tree is

of course translated into church slavonic and traditional russian melodies and this is sort of well we feel that the have an ease today. when you can find a link transmission of the ceremony from moscow's crosses if you can see from london you can head over to aunty don't come for that right now. this week president obama signed a law allowing the indefinite detention of u.s. terrorist suspects without charge or trial and the national defense authorization act also delays the closure of the guantanamo bay prison for another year veteran congressman dennis kucinich thinks the move is part of a pattern undermining democracy right now we're much more of a garrison and garrison plus. a powerful military which keeps asserting itself globally and it doesn't make america any safer and

frankly doesn't make the world safer we're spending upwards of six hundred billion dollars for an expanded pentagon presence for more war in afghanistan and for proliferation of war. in yemen and somalia and other places we have a lot of problems here at home that we're not taking care of we have massive unemployment people are losing our homes people are losing their retirement security and i continue to say that we have to start emphasizing taking care of things here at home instead of developing a bigger footprint around the world as far as our military presence. around a thousand lawyers protesters have been wreaking havoc over the weekend in the northern irish capital belfast with reports of shots fired at police lines the city's been witnessing a rest since the decision by the local authorities in december to fly the british union flag only on designated occasions rather than year round jason walsh from the christian science monitor thinks there are deeper reasons for the unrest than a flag being taken down but first it's traditionally throughout its history been

a predominantly protestant and unionist city and the latest census results show that's not really the case any longer it's not slightly it's like a republican. majority or for the decision itself to fly the flag only on seventeen designated days a year taken on december third. reflects this change and that seems to be what's troubling loyalists rather than the flag itself because in fact flying the flag simply brings it into line with other british government and civic building. the high price of x. rated diplomacy had on line for that one juror an ambassador to libya loses his job after a wild christmas orgy with prostitutes is held in the embassy even though it's reported he wasn't even there for the fun. and a mini statue of head lay wrecked it in the form of warsaw ghetto sparks outrage from locals who say it's an insult to all nazi victims

a full story. but is what is president hugo chavez who's currently battling cancer may be too ill to attend his own swearing in ceremony on thursday his political rivals are demanding a new election if he doesn't show up to be inaugurated for his fourth term of office that geo political analyst eric draitser i spoke to him a little earlier he believes the opposition is taking advantage of the situation to undermine the governed. what is important is the fact that the opposition is using this as a political mechanism by which they can try to deal with jim eyes the government in venezuela remember that in two thousand and two when the united states and spain and other powers around the world collaborated in conspired to oust chavez in an illegal coup we saw what the significance of chavez was that he had a base of support on the streets in that country that could not be shaken by an international force and so what they're attempting to do is to use his health

situation to break apart that base of support and to convince people that chavez is unable to serve the the constitution in venezuela allows for wiggle room here it does not say that just because he can't be at the inauguration that there has to be new elections that is what the opposition is trying to create something that is not explicit they're trying to make it explicit. big screen superstar. celebrating in his new home after being handed his very own russian punk sport fully deny with. the movie i called left his native france over what he called punishing tax rates pushed on the rich by the new president a radio station in paris has claimed five thousand french citizens of fled the country since. took office in paws thanks to his tax policies and just like the one of the countries they'd be moving to is russia let me and my colleague spoke to all to you sean thomas about what the largest country on earth has to offer new migrants. let's look at the taxes and that's the question at hand right now if you

look at russia at the current laws we have a flat tax rate here of thirteen percent in fact france and germany they both have complicated tax codes if you look at france forty one percent right now up to forty one percent in germany up to forty five percent as opposed to russia's thirteen percent so you can see it's a very attractive to come to russia but if this new law comes into effect in france that. mark for france goes up to seventy five percent making russia even more trying to do so you know why the super rich would be wanting to move over here and stay certainly there when it comes to the global meltdown that we've been seeing for years particularly twenty twelve was not a good year for the eurozone or for much of the world indeed but somehow russia managed to avoid the global economic crisis and that is certainly the case in fact it is one of the brics countries which means it is one of the emerging markets in the world but if you look at what's been happening around europe in fact in the past year we've been seeing austerity protests we've been seeing people come into

the streets who are looking for jobs and in fact the unemployment rate's if you look at greece twenty six percent if you look at the e.u. in general the average there eleven percent if you look at the unemployment rate in russia only six point four percent so you can see there are more jobs to be had here less people looking for work less dire situation but it's also an emerging market it is a diversify. going market in things here notably much more stable than in the rest of the me a lot of people saying there's an awful lot of opportunity here right here in russia the biggest country on the planet interesting though that the united nations that actually taken a moment to appraise russia's immigration policies that what's what about well certainly if you look at the numbers the most recent numbers in fact show that russia is the second most desirable country for immigrants to come to only second to the united states in fact in fact it can be a little bit confusing because people look at the numbers about moscow being one of the most expensive cities for ex-pats to live with that's for ex-pats and it is true things here it is a big city it can be expensive but if you look at average cost of food it's cheaper

than the rest of europe much cheaper to live here for gas prices as well now keep in mind moscow russia you know this is the biggest city in the countries of course things are going to be a little bit more expensive here but russian general things cheaper than regardless of that it's just a fun place to be is and certainly is in fact the arts of the culture the entertainment here in moscow is famous for its nightlife but if you look past that we have famous musicians coming from russia famous artists famous history architecture all of that here but i'm going to say russia has always had this balance between east and west right so if you look at the orthodox culture in the western cultures i think that the real reason people come here is that you get two christmases and you get two new years. well that's it for me to dandruff alma will be here with a new scheme about health and as the news continues in the meantime a one the facade to some unspeakable beach of the tourists and one of the coolest experiences in magical all to see no heads off to discover russia's amazing good ice cave that's after this short break.

but you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so whole a plea you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else you hear or see some other part of it and realized everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm tom harpur welcome to the big picture.

something. law is beneath. thousands of meters of ice and rock. that is a for many. but dangerous even to those who keep it at a distance. it is a small and ancient russian merchant city sits at the confluence of three rivers. it's not quite europe but it's not a nation either. constantine's a native of congo or he heads off to work each day of the same time. constant in his being.